Trump’s guilty verdict is not the end of the matter

By Donald Nieman, Binghamton University, State University of New York Donald Trump’s hush money trial has concluded with a guilty verdict on all 34 counts. But that isn’t likely to be the end of the matter. The former president has had a symbiotic relationship with a legal system he frequently denounces but routinely uses to his advantage. That almost guarantees the case will continue to be part of his tale of grievance, persecution and a rigged system arrayed against him – and, by extension, against his supporters. Because Trump is facing three other criminal indictments, he and his supporters will undoubtedly persist in charging President Joe Biden with weaponizing the justice system against him – while Trump uses it to escape a day of reckoning. Two of Donald Trump’s attorneys, Emil Bove and Susan Necheles, return to the courtroom after a break in Donald Trump’s hush money trial on May 21, 2024, in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images In a deeply polarized country, Trump’s narrative works. It stokes anger and deepens commitment among fiercely loyal supporters. It also generates cash to pay his legal bills and fuel his campaign. The evidence shows his claims are false. Anyone who...